


Baby, I'm Just on the Other End

by TheWiseOne12



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 12:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17642471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWiseOne12/pseuds/TheWiseOne12
Summary: “Hey, B, I wasn’t expecting to hear you until later,” Leds smiled.Whatever the other person said it made Leds smile more but he didn’t respond, instead holding his phone against his chest.“I’m going to head out so I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Leds told us.[Alternatively Titled: How many phone conversations can Nick Leddy have?]





	Baby, I'm Just on the Other End

**Author's Note:**

> This universe has a few changes in it to fit with the story I wanted to tell, including;  
> >John Tavares is still at Islander since I wanted to this is to told by an outsider perspective and John made the most sense and to that he had to remain on the Islander  
> >Some of the events in the story are unlikely to happen but that's the best part about writing fiction, right?

John was waiting just inside the rink for the new defencemen. The team had put Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy up in the same hotel so they were going to be arriving together and John was waiting for them so he could show them around the rink and introduce them to the team.

He didn’t know either of them particular well but had played against Boychuk more as he was from the East and a bit older. He barely knew Leddy at all and couldn’t say anything about him.

At last the pair came in and John headed over to talk to them. When he got closer he could tell that he would have an inch on Leddy but Boychuk would have an inch on him.

“Hey, it’s good to meet you guys. You can call me JT,” John started.

“Most of the guys call me Boych,” Boychuk said.

“And Leds for me or sometimes Ledpipe,” Leddy added.

When he spoke John was struck with how quiet his voice. John almost had to strain to hear some of his words and he was definitely on the shorter side for a defenceman but he had watched some tape of him and he was clearly good.

“I’ve been told to show you two around and then the equipment managers want to talk to you about your gear,” John explained.

Both of them nodded and John began the quick tour of the rink since they had both been here before and it was similar to most others. It meant that it didn’t take long to get back around to the equipment room.

Equipment didn’t seem to take long to get sorted but Leds did have a couple of problems with some of his and they didn’t have anything like he usually used but that could all be sorted.

“Ready to meet the team?” John asked and both of them nodded.

Most of the guys were already in there and as soon as they noticed John standing with two other people.

“Guys, this is Leds and Boych.”

He then watched as the two of them got pulled into different conversations. Boych was talking with Casey and Matt whereas Leds had been pulled into a conversation with Kyle and Brock who he clearly already knew but he then realised it was because they were all from Minnesota.

It took the team a while to get onto the ice and practice was a bit different with Coach trying to figure out the new personal. Both new players seemed to be fitting in well together and by the end of practice the team was looking good.

“Do you need help getting anywhere?” John asked the new defencemen.

“I’m just going to by a car so after that I should be fine,” Boych said.

“Awesome, keen to get your family here I’m guessing,” John asked.

“Yeah, hopefully in the next week or two but that depends if I can find a place.”

“What about you Leds? Got anyone coming to live here?” John asked the other defenceman.

“Nah, it’s just me but I’d rather not be staying in a hotel for a long time,” he smiled.

John was about to ask him what his plans for the day when his phone rang and John didn’t miss how he smiled at the name that popped up on his screen.

“Hey, B, I wasn’t expecting to hear you until later,” Leds smiled.

Whatever the other person said it made Leds smile more but he didn’t respond, instead holding his phone against his chest.

“I’m going to head out so I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Leds told us.

John was going to ask him if he wanted a ride but he headed out without paying anymore attention to us. Since his voice was naturally quiet neither Boych or John could near what he was saying anymore.

“That sounds like girlfriend doesn’t it?” Boych asked.

“I was thinking that too. Anyway, do you want a lift somewhere?” John asked.

He looked like he was going to say no but did agree so they head out together and it gave John a bit more time to get to know him.

 

*******

 

For the first week or so John was worried that Nick wasn’t fitting well into the locker room since he was really talking that much but then he realised that it was just that Nick was naturally quite quiet. He seemed to be making friends on the team so he didn’t think that it should be too much of a concern.

Leds had managed to find an apartment close to the rink and was having a house warming one evening. It wasn’t a hard place for John to find and by the time he made it up Boych, Stromer, Cal, Matty, Casey and Kyle were already there.

“Hey, nice looking place,” John told Leds.

Leds smiled and offered John some of the Thai takeout that was spread out on the table.

“There is a Mario Kart tournament that going to start in a few minutes that you probably want to be involved in,” Leds added.

John nodded before grabbing some food and heading into the lounge to join their teammates. Leds joined moments later and perched on one of the armchairs and they all started eating.

“Are we able to get the grand tour?” Stromer asked.

Nick rolled his eyes but did agree. He lead the group into the guest bedroom and then into his own. Cal and Matty decided to jump onto Nick’s bed before stretching out on it.

“You have a nice bed,” Cal said.

Leds smiled and sat down on the end of bed and watched the rest of them move around his room.

“Got someone to break the bed in with?” Matty teased.

Leds just rolled his eyes but everyone else just laughed. John wasn’t the only one that had noticed that Leds was texting someone on his phone quite a bit but none of them had got him to tell them anything about the person on the other end.

John didn’t want to pry too much so he turned to look at the couple of photos on the wall. The first one was of Leds with people that he assumed were his family based on the resemblance and one of them definitely looked like this brother.

The other two were from the year the Blackhawks won the cup. One was from Nick’s cup day as it was just Nick with the cup and the other was from the day they won. Nick was still in full gear and had an arm wrapped around Brandon Saad and another around Andrew Shaw.

“Do we have to spend the whole night in my bedroom?” Nick asked.

“But don’t you want to spend the whole night in here?” Matty leered.

Leds rolled his eyes again but they did eventually move back to in lounge to start the video games. They all very quickly learnt that Leds had clearly spent a lot of time playing the game and was much better than all the rest of them so they all tried to gang up on him but it still didn’t seem to help.

“How are you so good at this?” Kyle asked after they gave up playing.

“Saader and I used to play all the time and he would seriously cheat so I had to be good to win,” Leds explain, a slight smile on his face, reminiscing about past times.

People started heading out not long after that, particularly the ones with families. John offered to stay and help clean up so he was the last one left besides Leds.

“So, how are you finding the team?” John asked.

“It’s nice but you guys are still not who I expect to see in the locker room,” he admitted.

“I get that. You are fitting in well.”

“Thanks”

 

******

 

John ran into Boych and Leds coming into the rink together before a game on day and Leds was on the phone yelling at someone which shocked John. In the time that he knew Leds he had never seen him angry about anything at all so this was strange.

“No, fuck you. I’m not fucking stupid and I know what shit you are saying,” Leds snapped.

“Do you know who he is talking to?” John whispered to Boych.

“No, just that he has been cursing up a storm the whole time I’ve been with him.”

“You don’t fucking get it because you are always the fucking bully and no one has ever said fucking no to you,” Leds snapped.

Whatever the person on the other end said it made Leds more upset.

“If I could be there I would fight you myself but you know I can’t because you are part of the reason I’m not in Chicago anymore,” Leds scowled.

The trio were joined by Cal and Casey and they both immediately noticed that Leds’ scowl.

“What’s with him?” Cal asked.

“I’m not exact sure but he is yelling at someone,” Boych explained.

“I don’t want to ever fucking here from you Tazer or anyone from your fucking team again,” Leds snapped before hanging up.

“Tazer?” Casey mouthed, clearly also trying to figure out who the nickname was in reference to.

It took John a couple of seconds to place the nickname and surprised that he was talking to Jonathan Toews.

“I’m not talking about it,” Leds told them, when he noticed them looking at him.

“Ok, but you can talk to us if you want to,” Casey reminded him.

Leds nodded but didn’t say anything to any of them. John wasn’t going to push him to talk to him but he was curious as to what he was yelling at Toews about.

John also noticed that Leds didn’t talk to anyone as they warmed up and just hoped that his head was in the game for when they started.

Apparently that was not something that John needed to worry about because Leds clearly channelled his emotions into the game as he finished with 2 goals, an assist and 6 hits in an Islanders win.

“Leds, that was awesome,” Stromer called.

Leds offered a slight smile but he looked a little distracted. The locker room got pretty loud as people decided where the team was going to be going to celebrate the win since they have two days off.

When John next looked he noticed that Leds’ stall was empty so he slipped out of the room to find him to ask him if he was going to come out with them. He found him slumped on the hallway and was once again on the phone but he had a slight smile.

“I’m so sorry that I can’t be there,” Leds whispered.

John just wanted to wrap him a hug because he looked so upset.

“Hey, Leds, are you coming out with us?” John called at him.

“Yeah, sorry, I’ll be ready in a minute,” Leds said.

John didn’t want to listen to his conversation anymore so he headed back inside. It took them a while to all get their shit together and by that point Leds was ready as well. They headed to the usual bar and John ended up sitting at the back of the booth with Leds.

Neither of them were particularly interested in dancing or getting drunk so they settled at the back of the booth instead.

“Got any plans for the upcoming Christmas break?” Leds asked.

“I’m going to be going up to Toronto for a couple of days. What about you?” John asked.

“I’ve got family coming here since they haven’t been here yet,” Leds smiled.

“And is B coming up?” John teased.

Leds blushed slightly before nodding which made John smile.

“It’s always nice to see the people you can’t see during the season,” John added.

“So, Leds, we want to play a game with you,” Hammer said sitting down beside the man in question.

Stromer and Boych joined us and John was very curious about what was going to happen.

“We want to guess your girlfriends name and will you promise to tell us if we get it right?” Hammer asked.

Leds smiled and John was slightly surprised when he agreed.

“Just keep giving me names and I’ll tell you if you get it right,” Leds told them.

“Bianca”

“Briana”

“Beth”

“Bethany”

“Bella”

It was clear that they were starting to run out of names and Leds was still smirking and hadn’t told them that they had got the right name.

“I’m going to head out so maybe think of some better names over the break,” he smirked.

The three of them were clearly very disappointed but it wasn’t going to stop them from continuing.

 

******

 

“Someone got laid over the break,” Stromer cooed when Leds walked into the locker room.

“It was nice,” Leds said blandly.

That got people to quiet for a second but that was until he pulled his shirt off. That made everyone whistle because he had a couple of hickeys on his neck and marks down his back.

“Not shit it was nice,” Hammer called.

Leds ducked his headed and blushed slightly before pulling his gear on so that it was covered.

“So, is her name Belinda?” Hammer asked.

“Bridget”

“Brenda”

“Nope, I’m pretty sure that you aren’t going to guess it,” Leds teased.

“We so are and you are going to have to admit it,” Casey promised.

That just made Leds laugh as everyone started to head out onto the ice. The break had been nice but John was excited to get back to onto the ice and hopefully keep winning. Practice was a bit all over the place but they managed to pull it together and it looked good by the end.

“Boych and Hammer were going to come around to my place if you want to join us,” Leds asked John as they headed off the ice.

“That’d be nice”

He was the last one to make it to Leds’ apartment so the other three were already standing around in the kitchen.

“How was your break?” Hammer asked him.

“It was nice. I hadn’t really seen my family since summer so it was a nice couple of day,” John smiled.

“Get anything nice for Christmas?”

“Not anything extreme. A couple of books and that sort of thing that. What about you guys?”

By the time everyone had discussed what they had done Leds had finished making lunch so we moved into the lounge. John could help put notice that Leds was occasionally fiddling with a gold chain around his neck that he hadn’t noticed before.

He clearly wasn’t the only one to notice it because Boych then asked him about it.

“I got given it over the break, it’s a family thing,” he explained.

He pulled his out from under his shirt and the chain had a simple gold ring on it. John kind of wanted to ask him another question about it but decided that would probably be a bit rude so he didn’t.

It was the first time that John had been to Leds’ apartment since his housewarming party so John was happy to take it as a sign that he was starting to feel more relaxed with the team. They continued to talk and John didn’t notice for a while that Leds had fallen asleep.

“Looks like we are too boring for Leds,” Hammer teased.

John glanced over to see him slumped around the arm of the couch and clearly asleep. John didn’t notice before but Leds must be relatively stressed about something at the moment because now that he was asleep he looked more relaxed.

“He looks really stressed at the moment,” John said.

“I think part of it is having your partner in a different city. Even if there are no arguments it is really hard,” Boych explained.

Not wanting to talk much about Leds behind his back they moved the conversation onto hockey. They were all thinking that Leds would wake up in twenty minutes but he didn’t seem to. Boych and Hammer had to head out but John didn’t want Leds to wake up and for them to all have gone so he hung around for a bit longer.

John had probably been there for another half an hour by the time Leds started to wake.

“What happened to the other two?” he asked, rubbing sleep out of their eyes.

“They had to get home but I thought I would hang around,” John laughed.

“I’m sorry for falling asleep on you guys.”

“It’s alright. Is there a reason you are so tired?”

“It’s just B is having some problems with people at work and I can’t be there and there isn’t anything that can be done except to tough it but it’s really hard and we aren’t often in the same time zone so it’s hard,” he admitted.

No one had actually sure if his partner lived in Chicago still or Minnesota or somewhere else but they were sure that it wasn’t somewhere close.

“It’s always hard when you can’t help but can you go and visit anytime soon?” John asked.

“Not really as we don’t have any time off until June hopefully.”

He didn’t really know what else to say to him because it wasn’t really a situation that he could relate to so he just had to tell him that he could come and talk to him whenever he wanted.

Leds nodded and then changed the subject to something else which John was thankful for. He hoped that this would sort itself out because Leds didn’t deserve to be this stressed.

 

*******

 

They didn’t win the cup so John came back the next year excited to get going. Training camp was always a nice way to get back into the season and to see everyone again. John was glad to see that Leds looked more relaxed this year and seemed to fit into the team even more.

That was until a week into training camp and he got a phone call in the locker room. Usually everyone wouldn’t have still been in there but the team was still making the most of being back so everyone was just sitting around in the locker room.

He glanced at the name that popped up on his phone and shrugged before answering it.

“Hey man, how come you are calling me?” Leds asked.

John was close enough that he could hear a couple of words of the response but the only one he was certain he heard was dentist.

“Management is fine with it so if I talk to them hopefully I can come for a couple of days,” Leds said.

Whoever he was talking to said one last thing and then he hung up.

“You going to be abandoning us,” Kyle complained, draping himself over Leds’ shoulders.

“Hopefully, if management is ok with it.”

“How come?” Matty asked.

“B was involved in a bit of an incident so I’m hopefully going to go and visit him to make sure he is alright for the next couple of days,” he explained.

He was clearly keen to get out so he grabbed his bag and headed out, presumably to talk to management.

He must have got confirmation because he wasn’t seen for another few days and when he did he looked very relaxed.

“How was your girlfriend?” Cal asked.

“Had to spend four hours in a dentist chair but other than that not too bad,” he smiled.

“And nice to have a couple more days together,” Hammer added.

Leds just smirked making it very obvious what had happened the rest of the time.

“How is everything been here?” he asked, wanting the attention away from him.

 There hadn’t been a whole heap going on in the time that he had been gone but there was always something stupid that had been done.

John moved to sit next to Leds so that he could catch up with the defenceman.

“How is B going?” he asked.

“Well, B moved cities so is working with other people so it’s so much better and is living slightly closer,” Leds smiled.

“Will we ever meet her?”

Leds smile dimmed slightly before shrugging.

“There’s a long story and there are some complications so probably not for a while,” Leds said.

“You know that you can tell us anything.”

“Not this and I’m not talking to you about this anymore.”

John so wanted to ask him some more but Leds then stood up and headed out. It got John thinking about it more. He had met every other player’s partner and it was strange that they had never met Leds at any point in time.

He was pretty sure that Leds wouldn’t be involved in anything illegal but he was starting to get very curious. It was pretty obvious that Leds was avoiding him all practice so John decided to let him do this own thing until he calmed down and he clearly wasn’t going to answer John questions about his girlfriend.

 

*******

 

By the 2016-17 season people were already starting to ask John about his upcoming contract talks and he was already sick of it and didn’t want to talk about it. It was always hard to answer questions  especially after good win such as a 3-0 win over Dallas.

They all trouped off the ice in a good mood except for Leds who John couldn’t help but notice was glaring at the ground.

John was even more surprised when he then stood up on his stall which quickly quieted the whole room.

“There is something that I want to talk about but I’m not doing until after all the media is done so I want everyone here afterwards,” he explained, before jumping down.

John was pretty sure that he wasn’t the only one that would be stay just out of curious because Leds clearly wanted to say something that was upsetting him. That curiosity got John through all the inane questions that he had to answer.

By the time it was only the team left in the room everyone had changed out of their gear and was sitting in their stalls in suits. Leds was staring down at his hands in lap before taking a breath and standing up.

“I’ve never been more disappointed by the language that teammates have used on the ice. I couldn’t believe the things that you were saying out there,” Leds started.

“But no one here is gay so it doesn’t matter,” someone said, John didn’t catch who.

John noticed how Leds’ hands clenched by his side before saying anything.

“I’m fucking gay. The girlfriend that you guys always tease me about is my fucking husband,” he snapped.

That stopped everyone for a second.

“Husband?” John asked.

“Yeah, and when I hear language like that it hurts.”

“How come you hadn’t told us?” Hammer asked.

“Because I’ve dealt with so much fucking shit because of my sexuality. I got fucking bullied in locker rooms and traded because of it so I wasn’t going to put it out there.”

That was a lot of information to process at once and by this point some of Leds anger had left him.

“I want to go home and call my husband and talk to him because I’ve had a shit day so I don’t want to talk about it anymore today,” Leds added.

John had so many more questions to ask him but now was not the time.

“Players meeting before practice tomorrow then. Everyone here an hour beforehand,” John ordered.

Leds then quickly headed out of the room leaving the rest of us still in a state of shock. John grabbed Hammer, Cal and Casey and they decided to go and grab food before talking about it. Not wanting to talk about it in public they ended up in John’s lounge.

“So, recap, Leds is married to a guy and got traded to us because Chicago doesn’t like his sexuality and none of us knew,” Hammer started.

“Sounds about what happened. I don’t think that I could of guessed that about Leds,” Cal said.

“Do you think anyone here is going to have a problem with his sexuality?” Casey asked.

“I really hope not because it sounds like he was already been through a lot,” John said.

 

They didn’t talk much more since they had to be in early tomorrow so the other three headed out. John was still thinking about it as he prepared for bed.

He made it back to the rink before anyone else and headed into their usual video review room and moved all the chairs into a circle. He wasn’t surprised when Leds was the next one to come in.      

“How are you feeling?” John asked.

Leds just shrugged before taking a seat. He didn’t say anything, instead staring at his hands, as everyone else came in.

“So, I know that we all have quite a few questions for Leds and he has the right not to answer them if he doesn’t want to. Then we will talk about where to from here,” John instructed.

Everyone nodded before the attention was turned to Leds.

“Just ask me when you want,” he said.

“How long have you been married?” John asked.

“It’ll be two years in the off-season.”

“Were you engaged when you came here?” Casey asked.

“No, my boyfriend came here at Christmas and proposed.”

“How come you lied to us about it?”

“I never actually did. You guys all assumed that B was my boyfriend and I never corrected you.”

“What’s his name?”

“I’m not telling you guys that.”

There were a few more questions asked and Leds answered most of them.

“OK, onto other things then. Leds raised an excellent point yesterday about the language. It’s not stuff that we should be saying, regardless of who is on in the locker room and on the ice,” John started.

Everyone nodded and a few things were tossed around as everyone agreed with John and agreed to cut them out.

“It’s really important because I have spent lots of time in locker rooms hiding my sexuality or being bullied because of it and it’s very hard. I would love for it all to change but it’s hard and it would be nice for it to start here,” Leds added.

Everyone nodded at that one which made Leds smile.

“Thanks for this and if anyone has any problems with this come and talk to me,” John added before everyone headed out.

 

*******

 

John had to talk to a couple of people after the meeting but by the end of the season it seemed to be all sorted out, or at least everyone who still had problems were keeping quiet.

The season ended with the team missing the playoffs which made John a bit upset. By the time they had their last lunch most of that had dissipated and it was nice to catch up with everyone before they dispersed for summer.

John was holding it at his place and Leds was the first one to arrive.

“Going home to Minnesota now?” John asked him.

“Nah, going to visit the husband,” he smiled.

“Does he have time off?”

“Some but he isn’t finished yet so I’m going to visit him before going home. What about you?”

“Usually time up in Toronto but other than that no real plans,” John smiled.

Leds then offered to help finish making the food and John took him up on his offer. As Leds washed some lettuce John couldn’t help but that the ring was usually around his neck was on his finger and there was a second ring as well.

“Nice rings,” John smirked.

Leds blushed slightly.

“It’s my wedding ring and engagement ring.”

John got a chance to look at them. The band that was usually on his chain was his wedding ring and it was a simple gold band whereas the engagement ring was silver with a pale blue gem in the middle and three darker ones on either side.

“Is it nice to get to wear them?” John asked.

“Yeah, I wear them over summer and it’s weird not to wear them during the season.”

The conversation then got stopped as Cal and Casey arrived. John couldn’t but notice that Leds looked more relaxed than he had ever seen him and part of that was probably just not having his huge secret hanging over him.

No one had any thrilling plans for summer but it was nice to hear what everyone was going to be doing.

“Excited to see your husband?” Hammer asked Leds, raising an eyebrow at him.

Leds smirked at him, “It’ll be nice to see him.”

“Will we ever meet him?” Casey asked.

“It’s complicated and even though you know that I’m gay and I’m married to a man but there are still other things that I can’t tell you yet and it’s not on you guys,” Leds admitted.

The guys nodded and John quickly changed the subject to other things. People slowly trickled out to headed out to leave New York to begin their summer. Leds was one of the last ones to leave which surprised John.

“Not heading out as soon as possible?” John asked.

“My flights not until tonight and I’m all packed so there isn’t anything really for me to do,” Leds explained.

They mucked around playing video games until Leds did need to head out.

“Don’t forget that you can call me at any time that you need to,” John added.

Leds nodded and hugged him once more time before heading out.

 

*******

 

John was glad to be back in New York to start the next season. He made sure to be back in the city a bit before training camp started and made an effort to catch up with everyone as they got back as well.

Leds was surprisingly hard to catch up with. John was extremely surprised to find out that he was only getting back the day before training camp started so John arranged to meet him for dinner that night at Leds’ apartment since it was easier for the defenceman.

John was just about to walk into Leds’ building when the man himself came in as well, clearly just coming from the airport, judging from his baggage.

“We didn’t have to do this tonight. I didn’t realise that you were just getting in,” John started.

“I was meant to get in six hours ago but my flight kept getting delayed,” he complained.

John offered a sympathetic smile and when they got into his apartment he dumped his shit and collapsed on the couch.

“I don’t have any food here so we are ordering in tonight,” Leds said.

“That’s fine. Do you want help unpacking?” John asked.

“Nah, I’m so sick of sitting in an airport so it’ll tomorrow’s problem.”

They order Thai and John got a chance to look at Leds. He looked stressed already, whether that be because of his challenge travels or something else but he looked tired.

“How are you?” John asked him.

Leds sighed and John didn’t say anything, instead letting him gather this thoughts.

“B got transferred back to the place where he got bullied in the workplace which made it extremely stressful and he’s already getting shit about it. And I just want to get him out of there and I can’t,” Leds admitted.

“Shit really? Can’t he complain to someone about it?” John asked.

“No, they know that he isn’t out and there are even worse consequences if he says anything. And they know this.”

“Fuck, that’s bad.”

“Yep, so I’m a little stressed about that at the moment and a really shit day is not helping. Anyway how are you?”

“I had a good summer and it was nice to see the family.”

Talk about family and other things that got done over summer kept them talking until the food arrived and after they had finished eating, they wasting time playing video games.

“Do you want to stay the night? We can drive past your apartment tomorrow before heading in?” Leds asked.

John was already exhausted so agreed so he could go straight to bed. The guest bedroom was already made up and Leds had a spare toothbrush so it only took a few for him to be ready to crawl into bed.

As he was lying in bed he could hear Leds’ voice on the phone to someone that he was assuming was his husband. The words were too quiet for him to really make them out but they lulled him to sleep in minutes.

When he woke the next morning he could hear Leds moving around in the kitchen already. After glancing at the time he groaned when he realised that he should get up. Leds had given him a pair of sweatpants and old Islanders shirt that seemed to fit not too badly.

He found Leds in the kitchen and was handed a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” Leds smiled.

“Fuck, are you a morning person?” John complained.

“Yep and B hates me for it because he really isn’t.”

John loved to learn all the little bits about Leds’ husband because even when he told John things like that he would smile in a way that John never really saw before he told them about his husband.

“Do we need to go past your apartment?” Leds asked.

“Yeah, do you mind?”

“Of course not but we should head out soon,” Leds said.

They quickly ate breakfast without much talking before heading out. Leds had his gear bag in the back of the car and of course with traffic it took a while to get back to John’s place.

“I’ll just run up and grab my stuff,” John said, clambering out of the car.

It didn’t take long for him to grab his own gear, change quickly and head back downstairs. When he got back Leds pulled back out into traffic.

“Ready to get back onto the ice?” he asked.

“Definitely, it’ll be so nice to be back out there with the guys,” John smiled.

They were one of the first ones there so they headed into the locker room. John started catching up with Bails and Leds moved to talk with Boych.

The first day of training camp was always a bit weird as everyone is getting used to being back and the coaches are seeing exactly how everyone is after the time off but it is so nice to be back with all the guys again.

Just like every year the team spent quite a while after training in the locker room just catching up with everyone. John noticed that Leds had disappeared and wasn’t surprised to find him sitting in the hallway, knees pulled to his chest, on the phone.

Leds was so wrapped up in his conversation that he didn’t even notice John come and stand in the hallway, close enough that he could hear what the defenceman was saying.

“We can come out then. You know that I’d be willing to,” Leds suggested.

Whatever his husband said made him he frown.

“I don’t care B. I’d face that forever if it meant getting you out of there.”

“And that’s the thing isn’t it. I don’t know what to do.”

Leds looked like he was about to cry so John felt bad eavesdropping on the conversation so he slipped back into the locker room to give him a bit more privacy.

 

*******

 

John was glad once he re-signed in New York because then the reporters stopped asking him about it. Even after missing the playoffs again he couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. It immediately paid off because the team started off on a tear.

It was helped by Leds playing the best hockey of his career and was racking up points and by the time the all-star break he was top ten in scoring and the highest scoring defenceman. Both Leds and John were both named to the All-Star game.

It was a fun experience but John was glad to get back to game that mattered. After their first practice back they were in the locker room when Leds got a call.

“Hey B, how are you?”

B said something that made Leds smile brightly.

“You are fucking kidding me. You are serious.”

He suddenly sat down but still had the smile on the place.

“So, are you going to be going to be moving back into the same place?” Leds asked him.

Leds asked him a couple more things but even when he hung up he still had the massive smile on his place.

“What’s got you smiling?” Boych asked him.

“B got transferred back to the place he was before so he doesn’t have to deal with the bullying anymore and since he was just renting out his house there he doesn’t have to deal with finding a new place,” Leds smiled.

“That’s awesome for him,” John smiled.

He also noticed that Leds looked so much more relaxed after receiving that news.

“Are we going out for lunch?” Cal asked.

A few of them agreed including Leds agreed so they headed to a team favourite sandwich shop that they could walk to from the rink.

“So, is your husband going to be closer to New York now?” Casey asked.

“Slightly, it’s not that much better but we are back in the same time zone which is nice,” Leds smiled.

The smile didn’t leave Leds face the whole meal and it was good to see. He had definitely been tenser the last while so it was good to see him relax a bit more.

They had all finished eating when Leds’ phone rang again and when he glanced at the caller ID he smiled and answered.

“Hey B, can you wait a second?” he asked.

B must have agreed because he turned to look at us.

“I’m going to head out so I’ll see you tomorrow,” he smiled.

Everyone agreed and he slipped out of the booth and heading out. No one said anything until he was outside.

“It’s good to see him more relaxed,” Boych started.

“For sure, it’s good for his husband too.”

They talked about it for a bit longer until people had to start heading out to do their own thing but the whole lunch had been good so John headed home in a good mood.

 

*******

 

This year they finally made the playoffs again and John was thrilled when they swept the Devils in the first round. The locker room was the loudest John had even heard it after the game four win and John couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

Coach only said a couple of words about being sensible celebrating since this is only round one. The team was slowly stripping out of our gear when Leds phone rang.

“Hey B, how are you?” he asked.

John was surprised that he then frowned slightly.

“B, B, B, are you alright?” he asked.

Whatever his husband said made his worry.

“B, is there someone with you?” Leds asked.

“Can I talk to them?” he then asked.

The phone must have changed hands because his tone changed completely.

“What happened to him?” Leds asked.

“Fuck, seriously, I just fucking wish that I could be there,” Leds complained.

“Yeah, thanks, let me know if anything happens,” Leds finished before hanging up.

“You alright?” John asked.

“B was in an accident and has probably a broken wrist and fractured ribs,” he explained.

“Oh”

“Yeah, he just told me to not worry about it and enjoy celebrating today,” he said.

Cal then handed them both a beer and they got dragged into celebrating. It felt amazing to finally have playoff success again so it was easy to relax. Once they were kicked out of the locker room they headed out to a bar.

John had a good time but made sure not to drink too much. They had a day off the next day but John didn’t want to spend it all hungover. He spent most of the time nursing one beer and watching his teammates attempt to dance which was hilariously.

He noticed that Leds still looked slightly down.

“Are you sure that you are alright?” John asked him.

“Yeah, just worried about B.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to be. He’ll be fine,” John promised him.

Leds offered a slight smile just as Boych slid him a shot. Leds looked at it for a moment before tipping his head back and swallowing it.

“Fuck, that burns,” he complained but had more of a smile on his face now.

He looked more relaxed after that and they had a good night. John only had to shove a couple of people in cars but everyone seemed to get home safely so that was good. John was glad to get back to his own place and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 

*******

 

A whole bunch of them met for lunch the next and most of them didn’t look too hungover. Leds still looked a little stressed but he did have a slight smile on his face.

“Ok, phones on the table and first one to touch theirs has to pay and you are answering a call you have to put it on speakerphone,” Cal ordered.

John didn’t bother complaining, instead pulling his phone out and adding it to the pile on the table. They all ordered before starting talking about the upcoming series. The Blue Jackets and Penguins were still playing with the Penguins now up 3-1 so it was likely that was who they were they were going to be playing.

One of the phones started ringing on the table and it took a second to find that it was Leds. He frowned at the name on the screen, Nick F. John was slightly surprised when he answered it.

“Hey man, what’s the matter?” Leds asked.

“I know you are in the middle of the playoffs but you need to be here. He’s had surgery and is seriously high and every time he sees me he tells me about how I’m the wrong Nick and asking for you,” the other Nick said.

“Fuck, really,” Leds cursed, picking his phone up.

“Yep.”

“Ok, there is a flight in three hours so I just have time to go home, grab a bag and get to the airport. Will you be able to pick me up?” Leds asked.

“Of course, text me your flight details,” the other man said before hanging up.

“You can’t be doing this. We have practice tomorrow afternoon and this is the playoffs,” Boych said.

Leds’ expression turned steely and he glared at the group.

“Somethings are more important that hockey and I would miss all the playoffs if my husband needed me,” he snapped before leaving.

The group sat in silence for a minute taking in what had just been said.

“I haven’t seen Leds that mad in years,” John started.

“Yeah, but don’t you think that it is a bit stupid flying out when we have practice tomorrow?” Cal asked.

“A bit but I mean any of us would do it for our partners,” John said.

The people at the table shrugged slightly but the mood had changed considerably so it wasn’t quite so relaxed. They didn’t hang around for much longer after that and John had a nice afternoon doing nothing which was a nice rest.

By the time he made it into the locker room the next morning he was one of the later ones but still had plenty of time to get changed. He’d only been sitting in his stall for a minute when Leds came in and it was immediately obvious that he was exhausted.

He didn’t talk to anyone as he changed or once they were on the ice and when they started running drills it was clear that his mind wasn’t a hundred percent there. Coach even pulled him aside after practice but Coach didn’t seem to be upset so that was good.

When he did get back into the locker room a few people turned to talk to him.

“We told you that you shouldn’t have gone. It’s irresponsible and clearly you are exhausted after not even playing a game,” Cal said.

Leds glared at him before sitting down in his stall and pulling his thoughts together.

“Do you want to know why I’m so tired? Because my husband has a broken wrist and I spent most of the afternoon in the hospital before he could be released and then helping him by doing things that he can’t do with an injured rest and then when we were sleeping occasionally he would stop breathing and it was nerve-wracking waiting the seconds to see if he was going to continue breathing,” Leds snapped.

That silenced the locker room and John could see that Cal looked back at his comments.

“And don’t pretend that you wouldn’t skip games or practices for your partners so the shit that you are giving me is just bullshit.”

He then headed out of the locker room and John wanted to talk to him about it but now was clearly not the time so he let him leave.

 

*******

 

Leds had asked John for a ride to the rink the next morning and he was slightly early so Leds buzzed him out.

“Hey man, I’m not quite ready yet so come in,” Leds said when he opened the door.

John nodded and followed Leds into his kitchen where he was extremely surprised to see a shirtless guy sitting at the bench. He had a bandage around his ribs and a sling on his right arm which matched the injuries Leds had mentioned.

“Here’s your tea, B,” Leds said, handing him a mug, and confirming John’s thoughts.

John moved around to sit down as well and when he got closer to the other man he realised he knew who Leds’ husband was. It was Brandon Saad and now everything that Leds had said made so much sense.

“I’m John, it’s nice to meet you,” John said, offering a hand.

“Brandon”

Leds disappeared into his bedroom to grab something.

“How are you?” John asked.

“It still hurts but the one upside is I get to spend more time with Leds,” he said, offering a slight smile.

Leds then came out, kissed Brandon goodbye before they headed out.

“It’s nice to meet your husband,” John said, once they were out of the apartment.

“Yeah, we’ve been thinking of telling the team. Some of his teammates know,” Leds said.

“Thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome. Brandon wants to get to know you a bit better so do you want to come around after practice?” Leds asked.

“Yeah.”

Practice and video were the usual, a bit more dedicated now that they know that they are playing the Penguins but John was excited to head out and go with Leds to his apartment. They found Brandon relaxing out on the couch.

“Hey, B, how was your morning?” Leds asked, kissing his husband.

“It was very lazy. How was practice?”

“It was good. Just the usual.”

The three of them moved into the kitchen so that Leds could start making lunch for them. They kept it simple with sandwiches so that they could eat it on the couch. Brandon and Leds sat down next to each other so John sat down on the spare chair.

As they ate lunch John listened as the other two caught up more. It was nice to see them interact with each other and it was clear how comfortable they are with each other. Once they finished Leds had put his plate on the table and was stretched out on the couch so his head was resting in Brandon’s lap and he fell asleep in seconds.

“He’s pretty tired,” John commented.

“Yeah, well, he almost played an hour in your win the other game and quite a bit in the others,” Brandon said.

They might have swept the Devils but one of the games went to triple overtime and two of the others went to overtime so Leds had played a lot of extra hockey.

“Definitely. How are you?”

“It still hurts but you know how it goes.”

They talked for a little bit longer about hockey before Brandon brought up his relationship with Leds.

“He was going to tell you about it but clearly he is asleep so I thought I would,” he started.

“Are you sure?” John asked.

“Yeah, Leds speaks highly of you and I don’t know you much but I like you so I want to tell you.”

Brandon then paused for a minute and John let him collect this thoughts.

“I first met Leds at training camp the year after I was drafted and I didn’t stay up that long before being sent back to the O but we formed a friendship. We are both quite similar and very quiet but there are differences. Anyway, we kept in contact and then I got called up for the playoffs so we became quite good friends.”

“And then the lockout happened and we were all in Rockford and then Nick and I were both concussed so we had a lot of time together and our sexualities came up and then Nick asked me out on a date and it started from there. Eventually we got called up to Chicago for the season and then we won the cup and it was great. We spent that summer with both families and it was good.”

“And then we came back the season and I don’t know exactly when it was but someone from the team found out and then it went to shit. The whole team, especially the leadership group and management, turned on us and just made life shit. I’m not kidding when I say that Nick was the only reason that I made it through the rest of the season.”

“And then he got traded and I was so fucking pleased that he could get out but the management told management here that he is a problem and that Nick is gay which luckily the guys here had no problem with and told him that they wouldn’t tell anyone if he didn’t want them to. The season wasn’t great for me but they mostly eased off me. They kept calling Nick and yelling shit at him until he basically told Toews to fuck off”

“I came up for Christmas and that’s when I proposed to him and thankful he said yes and that got me through a lot of the year. We got married over summer and then I got traded and of course the Blue Jackets management and they were fine with it as well. I ended up telling some of the team and everyone took it well.”

“And it was great for two years until I got traded back to Chicago and I have to say that almost killed me. I don’t know why they wanted me back because the team made it clear they didn’t want me. I made friends with some of the new guys that hadn’t been around before but it was hard.”

“Of course they knew that I couldn’t complain about it publically because that would mean coming out. Nick told me we could if I wanted to but it wasn’t going to solve any problems. I just had to tough it out and then at last I got traded back to Columbus and that was so much better,” Brandon finished.

John didn’t know what to say because that was a lot of information to take in.

“Thanks for telling me about this. Thanks for trusting me,” John started.

“You’re welcome, we are thinking about telling the rest of the team.”

Just as John was going to reply when Leds rolled over slightly before waking.

“Are we just too boring for you?” John teased.

“Hilarious,” he said before sitting up slowly.

“I told him about us,” Brandon told Leds.

“OK, any other questions for us?” Leds asked John.

John didn’t think so so he shook his head. Not wanting to focus on such serious topics John instead changed the topic to hockey instead. When he left he was in a good mood and it was nice to see Leds with Brandon.

 

*******

 

They managed to reach the Cup Final and were facing the Sharks. With home ice advantage the first game was in New York. The game started well with goals to Leds and Barz. But then Leds went to block a shot and it went off his foot.

He was clearly in pain and with the help of Boych and Bails he got off the ice and headed straight down the tunnel. John couldn’t focus on that, there was still a game to be played. It meant that John didn’t immediately notice that Leds was back on the ice.

Once they were inside the locker room John moved to sit next to Leds.

“Are you alright?” John asked.

“It’s a probable broken foot,” he shrugged.

“How are you still playing?”

“I’ve taken a couple of pain pills.  I’m not missing this.”

John clearly wasn’t going to change his mind so he moved back to his own stall. Coach came in and gave us a couple messages before sending up back onto the ice. The Sharks managed to get one of the goals back but John managed an empty netter, assisted by Leds, and they managed to win.

Leds disappeared after quickly ditching his gear and when he reappeared he was armed with crutches and a boot.

“How are you?” Boych asked.

“I have broken a bone in my foot but I should still be able to play,” Leds explained.

A few different people came up to Leds to make sure that he was alright. John had just finished pulling his gear off when he noticed someone standing in the doorway.

“Why is there a Blue Jacket in the locker room?” Cal asked.

John then realised that it was Saad and the Blue Jacket didn’t say anything, instead moving across the locker room before wrapping Leds in a hug, or as much as possible with his sling.

“I thought you were done,” Brandon said softly.

“I’m fine. Where you really here watching?” Leds asked.

“Of course, you were there when I won so of course I was going to be here.”

Neither said anything for a minute as Leds hooked his chin over Brandon’s shoulder. John could tell that everyone else in the locker room had quite a few questions but sensibly held their tongues for now.

“Look at us, what an injured pair,” Brandon laughed.

“Together we almost make one functioning human,” Leds teased.

After a moment more they separated and Leds turned to face the locker room.

“So, guys, this is my husband Brandon.”

John wasn’t the only one that wasn’t surprised, clearly figuring that out from Leds’ interaction with Brandon but most of the locker room was extremely surprised. Everyone started talking at once and Leds had to silence them.

“Brandon will be around until after the series so there is plenty of time to get to know them,” Leds explained.

Luckily everyone didn’t swap the pair so Brandon wasn’t overwhelmed. John joined the circle around the pair along with a few of the older players, including Cal, Casey and Boych.

“So, how long have you guys been together?” Cal asked.

“Almost seven years now,” Brandon explained.

John half listened to their questions and the answers but it was mostly stuff that John had already asked. As the conversation continued John noted how Leds was starting to lean more and more on his husband and was answering less of the questions.

“I think that it is time that we head out,” Brandon said, also noticing Leds’ sleepiness.

Most of the others had already left so the remaining agreed. Leds grabbed his crutches and the two of them headed out and John watched how close they walked together and it was clear just how comfortable together.

“Just from that short amount of time you can see how close they are,” Boych said.

“For sure, I’d like to get to know him better,” Cal said.

“So, you already meet him?” Boych asked.

“Yeah, he was there when I picked up Leds the other day and then they invited me for lunch so I got to know him a bit,” John explained.

None of them really wanted to hang around much longer so they headed out together before separating in the parking lot. It was good to see that Leds was comfortable enough to let us get to know his husband.

 

*******

 

Game seven in the Stanley Cup Final with the thing that every kid dreamed of and with the series tied at three all the final game was going to be held in New York. Everyone was sitting around in the locker room, focused on the task at hand.

Leds was still playing but sensibly wasn’t practicing at all. His foot was causing him a lot of pain but he was playing well despite of it. Coach gave them a couple more messages before sending them out onto the ice.

Both goalies were clearly ready to play because the first two periods ended scoreless. It wasn’t due to lack of chances because they had heaps but couldn’t seem to get them in the net.

John noticed that Leds was swallowing a couple of pain pills and had just had his foot re-wrapped. They needed him to continue to play well because he was playing the most minutes of all the skaters and was generating plenty of chances.

The beginning of the period started with much of the same and the time ticked down and John started thinking about going to overtime.

With less than two minutes left John was sitting on the bench and the Isles had the puck in the offensive zone. Barz passed the puck back to Leds at the point before he fired a shot. The puck took a bit of an odd bounce off the ice and hit the back of the net behind Jones.

John didn’t know what to do for a second before jumping up and hugging the guys around them. Coach had to calm them down, reminding them that there was still time left and that calmed them down.

John was on the ice as the final couple of seconds ticked down. He got an empty net goal, once again assisted by Leds, and the time wound down for the win.

If asked about it later John couldn’t tell them a detail about it afterwards. He hugged everyone on the ice and eventually got corralled together for the presentation. Bettman got booed but it was a bit half-hearted since the home team had won.

“The winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy is Nicholas Leddy.”

John turned to clap the defenceman who looked shocked but he had completely deserved it. He was close to a point a game, as a defenceman, which was great after his best season ever, which was hopefully going to end in a Norris.

Leds still looked a little out of it as he skated forward to accept the trophy and it didn’t take long before John got called forward to receive the cup. Everything that he had heard about lifting the cup was completely true. It didn’t feel like it had any weight and it didn’t take long for him to complete his lap.

He had thought about who he was going to pass the cup to first and he had had a few different thought before settling on Leds. He had played amazingly and with a broken foot in the finals. When he got closer to the defenceman he looked shocked.

“Really?”

“Of course. You are a big reason we won.”

John couldn’t tell how long they were all on the ice. Families joined them on the ice and John couldn’t keep the smile off his face. They headed off the ice and into the locker room as families mostly headed home.

Champagne bottles were passed around and it didn’t take long for John to get soaked. Everyone was already pretty drunk so no one cared that their top defenceman was sitting in the lap of Saad, in his stall, making out with Saad.

From then on John couldn’t remember most of the night but that wasn’t really the point and he made it home safely so that was all that really mattered.

 

*******

 

The Parade a few days later was crazy. Even before they had started John could already hear the crowd screaming. John noticed Leds limping over, still on crutches, so he moved closer to talk to him.

“How are you?” John asked.

“I had surgery yesterday on my foot so hopefully I should be back hopefully for the start of next season,” he said.

“So, you and Brandon will be healing together then?”

“Yeah, definitely be a bit more of a lazy summer than normal.”

They stopped talking when they started getting ordered up onto the buses. It was a little hard for Leds to get up with crutches but with support from John he managed to get up.

It was amazing to see how many people had come out to support them. By the end of it John was feeling a bit overwhelmed but being slightly tipsy helped. The team gathered inside one of the buildings afterwards so that the Coaches could say one last thing.

It was the usual message about having a good summer and making sure to keep working hard.

“And award nominations came out so let’s congratulate our Norris Trophy nominee Mr Nick Leddy,” Coach added.

Everyone clapped and Leds blushed slightly. People started heading out, some flying home today and a few of us that were invited around to Leds place for lunch and video games. John offered to drive Leds since he couldn’t so they headed out together.

“Congrats on the nomination,” John started.

“I honestly can’t believe it. It’s crazy,” Leds smiled

“Got any plans for the summer?”

 “Brandon and I are going to come out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s about time.”

“It’ll be nice to able to stop hiding this.”

John pulled up near Leds’ apartment before they headed up together. Brandon opened the door them and hug his husband immediately.

“Congrats on the nomination.”

John moved around the pair and made an effort not eavesdrop on the whispered words between them. They were still standing there when the rest of them arrived before finally moving apart.

“I made chilli if you guys want some,” Brandon offered.

Everyone quickly agreed so Brandon ladled it out into bowls before they settled on the couch.

“So, you two are going to come out?” John asked.

“Yeah, we have an idea of how we are going to do it but it’s going be pretty simple,” Leds said.

Everyone in the room knew that it didn’t matter how they came out, it was going to be a big deal but no one really wanted to think about that at the moment. Instead they moved to talk about summer plans before starting to play video games.

John couldn’t help but notice how Leds moved from his seat on the floor up into Brandon’s lap on one of the seats. Neither of them were playing at the moment so they were curled around each other, softly talking.

Leds still looked slightly exhausted and when John glanced over at them next Leds had fallen asleep with his face buried in Brandon’s neck. John was surprised that he didn’t wake because their teammates weren’t exactly quiet when they were playing, he must have been really tired.

Players started heading out after a while, after Leds woke, and it was always sad when players started to scattering around the world but John didn’t mind as much this year since they won.

Once again he was one of the last ones to leave.

“Just call me if you need to,” John reminded him.

“Thanks, have a good summer as well.”

John hugged both of them before heading out to go home pack and head back up to Toronto.

 

*******

 

Leds did win the Norris and John saw him at the awards since he was there with the cup. Leds told him that they were probably going to come out at some point in July. John saw it when they did it and the way they did was really nice.

Leds posted three photos on his Instagram. In the first one they were both wearing each other’s jersey. Leds was sitting in Brandon’s lap, their heads pressed together. The second one was taken in Leds’ apartment. Leds arms were hooked around Brandon’s neck and they were standing in front of the window at night with a nice view of the city behind him.

The final photo was a little older as it was clearly from their wedding. Their hands were grasped together and wearing nice suits and there was an officiant behind them. They were photos that John hadn’t seen before but they were all wonderful.

John liked the photos before putting his phone down and headed off for a run. When he got back he already had hundreds of messages and missed calls from family, friends and media. Most of them could be deleted before he answered a couple.

There was quite of few requests for media interviews that John didn’t both to answer. He knew that there was going to be a lot of people that would complain about their sexuality and claim that it was a distraction but that was bullshit.

Their group chat was going off about various things. John noticed that Leds hadn’t posted anything in there, probably too focused on other things. John was pleased to notice that all the messages were positive and extremely supportive.

He had a couple of messages from his sisters about random things but it was clear that they were trying to keep is hide away from the other messages that he was receiving.

Islanders PR had sent out an email about commenting on Leds’ relationship and being careful about what is said. It was mostly boring so John skimmed through it. He was about to close it when his phone rang. He was about to ignore it when he glanced it and noticed that it was Leds so he answered.

“How are you?” John asked.

“It’s been crazy but I think that it will be worth it,” Leds admitted.

“Of course it will. Have you guys given any interviews yet?”

“One that will come out in a couple of days. I’m expecting some consequences of what we said.”

“From who?”

“Chicago. We were both pretty honest about our time there so I don’t think they are going to be happy with that.”

“They deserve that though after the way that they treated you.”

“Yeah”

There was someone calling Leds’ name on his end of the phone which John took as a sign to let him go.

“Just call me if you need anything else,” John added.

“Thanks.”

 

*******

 

John made sure to get everyone that were already back in the city together and John was slightly surprised when Leds asked if Brandon could come. The pair were the first to arrive which gave John time to catch up with them without everyone else around.

“How come you are still around?” John asked Brandon.

“Our training camp doesn’t start until a few days after you guys so I’m not heading to Columbus until tomorrow,” Brandon explained.

“Nice, how was your guys summer?”

“There were a couple of bumps but it was good.”

They caught up a bit more before everyone started pouring in. John was so proud of the team because he noticed every single one of them made sure to talk to Leds and make sure that he was alright.

John also made the rounds to see how everyone had been over summer and to make sure that everyone was ready for the season. Once everyone had eaten they settled in front of John’s TV to start a Mario Kart competition.

Leds was much too good at the game so everyone else spent the time trying to knock him off without success. He had won again and gave up his controller so that someone else could win. He then moved to stand behind John.

“Can we use your spare bedroom tonight? Brandon is exhausted and we can’t be bothered heading home,” Leds asked.

“Of course.”

Leds then wrapped an arm around his husband and helped him up off the floor. Brandon did look really tired and it took Leds a bit of effort to get him back into the spare room. By the time Leds made it back a few people had already started heading out.

It didn’t take long for it to be only Leds left in his lounge and John relaxed into his seat.

“It’s good to see everyone again,” Leds noted.

“For sure, honestly how are you guys?” John asked.

“It was definitely a bit rough but it’ll be worth it.”

“Anyone from the team giving you any trouble?”

“No, these guys have been the absolute best.”

John was about to ask him something else when Leds yawned so John decided to go to bed instead. His room was beside the spare room so he could hear Leds getting ready for bed as well and a couple of whispered words that he spoke to his husband.

It only took John a couple of minutes to fall asleep and when he next woke he could hear someone moving around in the kitchen. He didn’t really feel like getting up but he needed to be at the rink in not too long so he crawled out of bed.

He was slightly surprised to find both Brandon and Leds in the kitchen. Brandon was slumped over the bench, mug of coffee in his hand whereas Leds was moving about, making eggs.

“Morning.”

“Hey, guys.”

Leds then offered him a plate of eggs so he sat down beside Brandon.

“When are you heading to Columbus?” he asked.

“Later this morning. I’m all packed up since I wasn’t here for long so it’s just getting it then heading to the airport.”

John mostly listened to the other two and their conversation about Columbus. They must have spent a week or so before coming to New York as most of Brandon stuff was already there and they had caught up with most of his teammates.

“Don’t forget that we will welcome you anytime you come up,” John added.

Brandon smiled at that and wrapped John in a half hug.

“Nick is luckily to have you guys. You are all amazing.”

John was so glad that they were able to be out without the worry anymore and John could see how good they were for each other. When Leds first came to the team years ago he was extremely quiet and John realised that it was because he was used Brandon’s addition to the conversation.

John was glad to get the chance to get to know both of them as well and see them together. It was clear that they deserved each other.

Brandon had to head out not long after they finished eating and John made sure to hug him goodbye.

“It was good to see you again,” John told him.

“You too and look out for him throughout the season,” Brandon smiled.

Leds scowled at his husband which just made Brandon laugh.

“Yeah, keep in touch.”

John watched them head out together, Leds’ arm around Brandon and their heads bent together, words probably being exchanged. John couldn’t imagine seeing them with someone else and it was beautiful.

 

 

 


End file.
